Brain boosting foods are real. Of course, it’s great to have them all the time – but let’s focus on finals. Nourishing your body well during finals is just as important as keeping your brain sharp. Trying to subsist on ramen and cold pizza when you need your brain to function its best is just not going to cut it.
It’s not hard at all with a little bit of planning.
The nutrients you eat can help your brain function its best, sharpen your memory, and support increased ability to concentrate.
All great wins during finals, right?
Boost With Complex Carbs and Fiber
Complex carbohydrates provide a longer lasting source of fuel than other simpler carbs. We call them complex carbs because of their chemical structure. The carbon chains are much longer and more branched than a simple 2-molecule chain. Complex carbs are much longer.
This structure takes longer to digest and has more “staying power” to keep us satisfied longer. This also results in a slower, more even rise to our blood sugar levels and a more moderate insulin release.
Complex carbs are found in bread and pasta, fruits and vegetables, legumes, potatoes, etc. Simple carbs are found in sugars, candy, baked goods with added sugars, fruit juices, and syrups.
Give your brain a steady fuel source of energy with complex carbohydrates that deliver fiber too. You’ll get double bang for your buck.
Fiber is actually a complex carb that is so complex – so branched and lengthy- that we do not have the capacity to digest it for fuel. However, it still plays an important role. The presence of fiber in our meal helps to pace the energy release of other carbs, so that it is released over an even longer period of time. This is a good thing.
Fiber Comes Only From Plant Foods
Fiber comes only from plant foods – like fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Having whole grains at breakfast is an easy way to boost your intake. A great example is whole grain breakfast cereal or granola.
Wondering if your bread is whole grain? Check the label for the words “whole grain” at the beginning of the ingredient list.
Hot cereals can also provide fiber. Opt for the kind that you measure and cook, instead of the packets for more nutrition benefits. Try them with dried fruit like raisins, cherries, or figs.
Another great way to add fiber is by pulsing dry oatmeal in a blender to make oat flour. Substitute the oat flour for part of the all purpose flour in your pancakes or cookies.
Looking for whole grain late night snack ideas? How about a bowl of whole grain cereal or some popcorn?
Boost With Choline
Choline-rich foods help to support the brain’s efforts to carry signals between brain cells. New research is helping us to learn more about choline and its role in cognition – calculating, reasoning, considering. The good news is that several different foods are good sources of choline. Eggs, milk, peanuts, legumes, and some types of fish (cod, salmon, and tilapia, for example) are natural sources of choline. These foods are also important for memory and other brain functions.
Eggs contain a nutrient pair that are important for memory and brain health – choline and lutein.
We don’t often see choline and lutein together, but eggs have them both. And eggs can be made into countless super quick and easy meals – great for a busy week! You can prep them ahead of time. They are great baked into mini frittatas using a muffin tin. Or hard boil some eggs for egg salad sandwiches or to add to a salad. Even whip them up last minute into a quick omelet, wrap into a tortilla for a breakfast burrito, or poached over toast or on top of a Mediterranean inspired pizza with a handful of greens.
Boost With Vitamin E and Antioxidants
Vitamin E and antioxidants help protect cell membranes, including nerve cell membranes. They capture and stabilize rogue electrons and prevent their doing damage to these membranes.
Vitamin E is also present in several different foods. Nuts and seeds are great examples of vitamin E-rich foods. Avocado and peanut butter also make the list. All are great sources of vitamin E.
Other great examples of antioxidants are vitamin C (found especially in fruits and vegetables), selenium (a trace mineral found in a variety of foods, including Brazil nuts), and beta carotene (found in dark, leafy greens and many orange vegetables).
Boost With Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are found in the cell membranes of brain cells and help facilitate communication between the cells.
The best dietary sources of omega 3 fatty acids are cold water fish that are higher in fat (like salmon, tuna, and sardines).
Our body can make omega 3 fats from another component nicknamed ALA found in walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, canola oil, and soybeans. Aim for 2 servings a week of omega 3-rich foods.
Water as a Brain Boosting Food
Water! Don’t forget to drink plenty of water!
Water supports every other process that our body performs.
It’s a brain boosting food because -by our circulatory system – it helps carry nutrients to our brain. Water also helps to clear away toxins throughout the body and delivers them to the liver and kidneys.
Research has shown that even 2% dehydration can affect how we think.
Inadequate hydration may result in several negative symptoms, including slower processing of information, some memory loss, difficulty focusing, difficulty paying attention, headaches, and irritability.
Take care of yourself and drink your water.
Conclusion
We have a lot of control in our nutrition that help boost our brain function. As a student, no matter our age or learning activities, it’s helpful to know what supports our efforts.
Having adequate amounts of specific nutrients gives us optimum nutrition advantage.
Resources:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07315724.2012.10720011
